The Gospel of Luke 9:23-27 Take up his cross daily

Good morning. We're going to be venturing into this passage Courtney just read for us here. We have the gospel of Luke that we've been investigating Jesus through here. And now in chapter nine, we were not even at the halfway point. So a lot ahead of us here.

Just in terms of location, the previous passage we looked at was the feeding of the 5,000, and that appears to have been in an area visible from Bethsaida, but still a little distance away from it. This is a shot I think Courtney got looking from Bethsaida towards the upper Jordan River, Galilee, and Capernaum. And this is right up in the upper corner, the area where the feeding of the 5,000 took place. From there, Jesus took the disciples up to the area around Caesarea Philippi. That's the main city, and there are a number of towns and villages around that. That appears to be the location where this particular set of words was spoken. And so here's Jesus. He is in one sense doing what I call rabbi speak.

The rabbis and the disciples had a set of traditions according to the Jews. The Jews had traditions that they had laid down for rabbis and disciples. Some of those things, for example, a rabbi was not allowed, according to those traditions, to ask his disciples to wash his feet. That was against the rabbi rules. So what did Jesus do? There was no rule against the rabbi washing the disciples' feet, right? So that's exactly what he did. There was also no rule against disciples washing one another's feet.

So not necessarily literally, But figuratively speaking, he challenged them to continue to do that. There were other things that were included in this set of traditions. While Jesus didn't said things that other rabbis did, he also said some things that were very different.

And in this, he challenged his disciples to sacrifice themselves for the sake of pursuing his teachings and following him. Some of it is rabbi-speak that's amped up, and some of it's things that no rabbi would ever say. And so as we look at this, I think that's kind of a starting point. He is the rabbi. He is going, in some respects, according to the traditions that rabbis and disciples had, and in some respects going very much against it. And so that's one aspect of it. Another thing when we look at this, we read these kinds of challenging words.

We should keep in mind that for Jesus to challenge his disciples to be dedicated was typical of the rabbis of the day. But he also had some things that were unique as well. This was discipleship by Jewish tradition. in the context of the law of Moses and in the land of Israel prior to the start of the church. This is very important for us to take a look at because some people are inclined to, oh I need to be Jesus' disciple and they look at how that was done with the disciples and not realizing, now wait a minute, This was in the context of the law of Moses was applicable.

This was in the context of being in the land of Israel when he sent them out two by two. He said don't even go on a road that leads to the Gentiles. Carry this message to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. So it was very Jewish, very Israel focused, very much under the law of Moses, and the gospel that he sent them out with was the gospel of the kingdom, not the gospel of salvation by Christ's substitutionary death. This was prior to the start of the church. Though the word disciple gets used later on in Acts, it means something different than a Jewish disciple.

One of the key things that stands out, we in the Church, the body of Christ, stand in grace, the reigning principle. The Apostle Paul made clear in Romans 5, verse 2, that we stand in grace. This grace in which we stand is a perfect tense, that is, it's a completed action, implying permanence. Verse 21 says grace is the reigning principle. It's the operating system, if you will, for the church. Not just some grace, some law. Complete, total, 100% pure grace.

The way we've said it before is we breathe in an atmosphere of pure grace. For us, it is God's intent that we see how God desires that we, in the body of Christ, who have a different standing before God than these disciples did at that point in time, are to live life very differently. So whatever Jesus says to these disciples is not necessarily to be taken as, oh, that applies to me directly.

You are not under law, Paul wrote in Romans 6.14, but under grace. And that's an absolute statement, not a relative statement.

So let's begin with Luke 9, 23. And he, Jesus, was saying to them all, to the disciples, if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. So we got a question here. Are you supposed to take up your cross daily? Well, we'll get to that. Alright, here's Luke 14, 27, where he says something similar, but puts it in a reverse that is a negative sense. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Well, that sounds just very absolute, doesn't it?

Now, one thing to clarify with here, it was Roman practice not to have someone carry the complete cross, but just the cross piece called the patibulum. I think you have, see there's the cross piece there. That would be the horizontal piece. The vertical piece was something they actually wouldn't have them carry because by the time you add the vertical piece, it's now three times as heavy, right? And many people could not have carried it. So here you have this drawing that's shown on page one of your handout. By the way, if you're joining us for the first time, the page in your handout is shown in the lower right of the page there.

So here's the patibulum, was typically what they had them carry, and the stipes was the vertical part, and that they typically did not have them carry. So when he says, when you pick up your cross daily, it was typically that cross piece, the petibulum that you're talking about.

So let's talk about if. There are some believers who have developed a habit of replacing if in the New Testament with since everywhere they find it. As if, oh boy, that will give a better sense of the meaning of the sentence. Now I'd like to caution about that. There are four kinds of if in the New Testament, and you can't tell by reading the English which one it is.

First kind, if and it's assumed to be true. That's the first one. Second kind, if and it's assumed not to be true. Third kind, if and it may or may not be true. It's a statement of if, of probabilities or possibilities, right? And the fourth kind is if and I hope it's so. So you have those four kinds of ifs.

So it's not a safe thing to say that since can always be replaced. Even when the meaning is in the Greek, if and it's assumed to be true, The reason for using if instead of since is to have you think through the logic with the person who is writing whatever the text is, right? And it may be Jesus speaking, it may be the Apostle Paul, but wherever you see that, we need to ask which one is it, right? Now, in this case it means, it's the first one, if and it's assumed to be true.

If, in this case then, is a if and it's assumed to be true, then this is what it means for the disciples. There's another word in there that I think takes some explanation. He says, anyone who wishes. Wishes sounds sort of weak. It might be a mild degree of desire, as in wishing something was the case, but knowing it can't be. So it might be seen as a fairly weak word.

In fact, this word is used numerous times in the New Testament for the will of God. absolute statement doesn't deal with my mild desire or wishing okay and this is an example first Corinthians 4 3 for this is the will of God your sanctification okay that you abstain from sexual immorality as it goes on so it's an absolute statement not just a boy I hope it's so or I wish it was so right Alright, now there's one sense here in which Luke 9.23 had direct application to the apostles and ourselves.

Let's take a look here in 1 Corinthians 15.30-31. You have this on page 2 of your handout as well.

Why are we also in danger every hour? I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. So what does he mean, I die daily? That doesn't mean that he dies and gets resurrected every day. Okay, it's not that but he sent since he's going through great trials and Difficulties here's 2nd Corinthians 4 7 through 12 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels earthen vessel meaning his body and the treasure being Christ so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves and We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed, but not despairing, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed. Always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus. so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you. So there's a sense in which this is being carried out here for the apostles and ourselves.

Now let's talk about, should you deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus? Years ago, Nancy and I went to a church where they had some pretty good songs, and there was one catchy tune that went, you know, deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Jesus. And so it was a really nice little problem. This is only applicable to Jewish disciples, right?

And we're in a different spot. It sounds very unselfish and devoted, right? It sounds like the right thing to do. But for those who are under the law and the rabbinical traditions of the first century, it was the right thing to do. But is it the right thing for us in the body of Christ to do? That's the question. I'll tell you, if we were to do these things in our church body now, it would set aside part of what Christ died on the cross to accomplish.

It's legal. because I do it, rather than gracious, because God already did it. For us who are in the body of Christ, God has already taken care of the need to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus. God's already done it. We don't need to do something He's already done. We were identified with Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, and we are called to faith in those spiritual facts. Faith in what God has done rather than our taking the responsibility to do what He has already done.

So it would actually be unbiblical for you to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. Isn't that amazing? It's not what happens with my cross that matters, rather what God already accomplished in Christ's cross. See the difference? It's not a matter of me taking up my cross. It's a matter of me having faith in what He already did on His cross. It's His cross that matters, not mine.

Here is Galatians 2.20. Here's talking about what God already accomplished. I have been crucified with Christ.

And you notice that Paul puts this in the first person. He does so for emphasis, but also we can say this about ourselves. in order to bring the truth home to us personally. I, Bern, I, for each of you, have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, and I'll expand it this way, it's no longer I who do the living. But Christ does the living in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh that is this physical body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. It's not me denying myself. It's not me taking up my cross. It's not me doing my very best to follow Jesus. What did God do to solve the problem?

He says, I'll take care of it. You believe, I'll take care of the rest. I'll handle it myself. First thing we're going to do is crucify you. And it's the most gracious and merciful and loving thing you could possibly do. Because now it's no longer my job to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Jesus.

I just have to believe Him. Matter of fact, that's exactly what it says. I live by faith in the Son of God and what He did and who He is and what He accomplished. It's faith and confidence in Him, not my self-effort. Myself has been crucified. There is no denying myself. Myself got killed. I was crucified not on my cross, but on His cross. Because I was crucified with Christ on His cross. Living each day means more than just following Jesus by my most dedicated self-effort. It is Christ living His life in and through me that God intends.

I'm done here. There's no denying myself. There's no picking up my cross. There's no following Jesus. Following Jesus is not enough. Following Jesus is not enough. Why isn't it enough? Because He intends His life through us. If I just try to follow Him, that's not what God wants.

We have been identified with Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and seating in the heavenlies. All five of those things are true, they're essential, and they're in that order. The first thing that happened is I was crucified with Christ. God did that identification with his death. He accomplished it. I don't need to try to redo it on my own. I don't need to try to do it on my own.

Here's Luke 9, 24. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake, he is the one who will save it. Alright, so let's talk about saving and losing here. It is a matter of value, isn't it? What do you value is a part of what Jesus is presenting here. It's also a matter of what actually works. And when I say works, not just works here, but works forever. The one who tries to keep what he thinks he has will lose it in the end.

I told a story about this man who uniquely had a deal with God. God gave him special permission to take a briefcase full of gold bricks into heaven. And so, you know, as the story typically goes, he goes, you know, to heaven. He's in line there, and he finally comes up his turn. And, you know, St. Peter, as the story goes, is there at the gate.

Peter's kind of surprised he's got this briefcase. What's in the briefcase? We don't have that happen here. Well, God gave me special permission to bring this briefcase. Well, let's open it up and see. And he looks at it, and it's full of gold bricks. And so the guy says, well, so I can take it in, right? And Peter says, yeah, I guess you can take it in, but I don't know what you're going to do. It's chunks of pavement.

So anyway, and the one who is willing to lose his life and let loose of what he thinks he has will be the one who gains the most in the end. The apostles did in fact all lose their lives from any record we have except for John. The last one. The first one to die, James, recorded in the book of Acts. The last one, John. The only one who did not die a martyr's death.

They did in fact give their lives for the sake of the gospel. And God made sure that we lost our lives. I put that in quotes here. We who believe in the body of Christ have already lost our lives, and that took place when we believed. All we did was believe, God did the rest. And that's a key thing, I think, to think about. The core of what God wants us to do is to believe, right? Everything else, God says, that's it. I'll take it from there, including the living day to day.

We were crucified with Christ, that act was merciful, it was loving, and it was gracious. That was exactly what needed to happen. Now we realize the continuing effect of that co-crucifixion, that being crucified with Christ, that being identified with Him in His death, every day as we walk in faith in what He accomplished in a few hours, that one day on the cross. In fact, if you think about it, Christ took care of actually a number of things all within a few hours.

In the morning hours, those are the conversations. John, take care of Mary. Mary, John will take care of you. Talking to the thief on the cross, today you'll be with me in paradise. Father, forgive them. Those kinds of things were all things stated in the morning. In the afternoon is when Christ goes mostly silent, except for saying things like, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? In those few hours, he paid the price for us all. How could he do that? because he's of infinite capacity, infinite righteousness, infinite holiness, to take our sins upon himself.

Here's Luke 9.25, for what is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

There was nothing that the disciples could save up, accumulate, own, or put in their wills that would pass into the earthly kingdom to come. And we're in a somewhat similar situation. There's nothing we can save up, accumulate, own, or put in our wills that will pass through heaven's gates either. It's not just stuff. College degrees, are you going to carry that into heaven? It doesn't matter how many or how high they go. You can't take it into heaven with you. The Lord has seen fit that what we take into heaven is what He has designated.

And that's all. And that's us. We even get new bodies to replace these. Amen? Only what is done now with a view to the other side will last. We behold Him now in His Word until we see Him face to face. It's that viewpoint. What we do now is really for them, really for later. As a matter of fact, this is a getting ready kind of place.

There was a song that was written, Only One Life Till Soon Be Past, and the words written by C.T. Studd go like this, two little lines I heard one day, traveling along life's busy way, bringing conviction to my heart and from my mind would not depart. Only one life will soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last. I would say that there's one word in error in this.

What's done for Christ is my efforts for Him. What's done by Christ Only what's done by Christ will last. My efforts to do this or that good thing is not what God's looking for. But Christ's life lived through me. That's Galatians 2.20 that we just read. Christ's life lived through me and lived out. That's what He's looking for. Only that will last. My efforts to please God on my own God says that's not what I'm looking for, Vern. But instead, by faith that I have been crucified with Christ and He lives within me and He's the one that does the living, that's what God's looking for.

That's eternally rewardable. Isn't it amazing that God rewards us, gives us crowns and rewards for things that He does through us and in us? And all we did was believe. All we did was believe. There is no reward, there is no crown for self-effort, no matter how dedicated and no matter how that looks to other people. God knows the heart and He knows when we're relying upon Him.

Now others may see that as well. I remember some time years ago, my wife Nancy asked our boys when they were still at home and under the roof, can you tell when I'm walking in the Spirit? Yep. And so yes, others may well see it, but the Lord sees what's actually going on. He knows. He knows.

Here's Luke 9.26, For whoever is ashamed of me in my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father and the holy angels. Now, does this have you shaking in your boots? Does it have you pulling at your pew belt?

This verse is directed towards the disciples toward a kingdom viewpoint, which they generally understood at this point in time. The Bible says that the Israelites will be resurrected at the time of the second coming. That's Daniel 12 verses 1 and 2. The Israelites will be resurrected and will have a judgment at that second coming. We in the body of Christ, however, will have been taken up at least seven years before that, and already will have been judged. This is not aimed at us. It's aimed at people in the Jewish context.

That being taken up, our blessed hope, that's out of Titus 2.13, that event we call the rapture. That's the Latinized term that's been applied to it. Our judgment for evaluation for crowns and rewards will already have taken place.

So these words of Jesus in Luke 9.26 are not directed to us.

Here on page 3 of your handout is a kind of a timeline showing what has happened, where we are in the church age, and what is about to take place. So you see on the left, the first coming. This is Christ's first coming when he carried out his ministry, as we're studying through here in Luke, when he was crucified, buried, and resurrected, and from there ascended and seated in the heavenlies.

As of Acts 2, we are now in the Church Age. The Church Age began there at Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was given. The Church was begun. We've been in the church age now for centuries, and the rapture, I hope it happens today, the rapture will be the Lord coming for the church, and we will meet Him in the air. He won't come down to earth completely, but we will meet Him in the air. That's the rapture.

Following that, and it may be immediately, it may be a little gap of time, the tribulation will begin. There will be a seven-year tribulation according to Revelation and Daniel. At the end of that will be the second coming. That's the particular time that this verse we just read pointing to that second coming at that second coming will be the resurrection of Old Testament Saints Jew and Gentile right and there will be judgment at that point for them But we will have been judged evaluation for reward and crowned at least seven years earlier Then follows the what we call the Millennial Kingdom thousand-year reign that comes out of the six times in Revelation chapter 20 when it's said to be a thousand years long and After that the end of this present heavens and earth and the new heavens and earth beginning on into eternity Here in this map is the Layout of the kingdom the coming millennial kingdom and And it shows not just the outline, which is given in Genesis 15, 18-21, but also the division by the Jewish tribes. This is Israel's land by tribe that we see here. So this could be reality starting as soon as seven years from now, if the rapture were to take place today.

Here's Luke 9.27, which completes our passage here. But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.

So what does he mean that the kingdom of God begun by Christ's second coming will come about within the disciples' lifetimes? Is that what he means? The kingdom of God is going to come about within the disciples' lifetimes. Or does he mean that the canoe of God is actually the beginning of the church age and the church is the kingdom?

Actually, most of Christendom believes this. However, it's not true. The teaching that the church is the kingdom is actually a teaching that came out of hatred for the Jews and also a misunderstanding of the gospel. and the idea that God hates the Jews, and if you're a good Christian, you will too. That's where the Church as the Kingdom actually started. What he means is that the sum, the sum standing here, Peter, James, and John will witness a preview of the coming kingdom and the transfiguration of Christ with Moses and Elijah.

And we're going to see that and next week's passage. That, as we find out, is eight days after Jesus is saying these words. And it will be in the same general area of Caesarea Philippi that we showed on the map there on the first page. Now he says that they'll not taste death.

So Peter and James and John, as we'll see in the passage, were the three, that's the sum, who were said that they could come and see this transfiguration. Very interesting that the Lord didn't just have all the disciples witness and see everything. Some cases it was just Peter, some cases it was Peter, James, and John, and in other cases it was all twelve. So they did not taste death before they saw the kingdom of God in this transfiguration event.

We have the body of Christ who are alive and remain. When the Lord comes to take us home to be with Him, we'll not taste death either. But everyone in the body of Christ will be raptured. This is one thing. People say, boy, I hope I'm alive at the rapture, thinking that if they're not alive at the rapture, they'll miss it. If you're a believer in Christ, you won't miss the rapture. Just settle down on that. Every believer from Acts 2 until that moment Every believer will be raptured. So you won't miss it. It will be okay. It will be okay. Everybody who is in the body of Christ from Acts 2 to that moment of the rapture will be taken to be with the Lord.

As a matter of fact, one of the things that we tell people, like at a graveside service, this is very respectful as it ought to be, but just keep in mind that this is temporary. If we go and bury somebody, the graveyard, it's temporary. It's not permanent. We will all be resurrected and that will happen for the body of Christ at the point of the rapture. Alright, let's pray.

Lord, we thank you that as we look at this we can see some things that do compare, but also some things that greatly contrast. And we see in this also comfort for us, And we thank you for that. We just pray, Lord, that you would bring these truths home to our hearts. And we just thank you for your word that reveals what's true to us, because you love us and care for us. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.